


Long Live the King

by antisnotabug



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015), RocknRolla (2008)
Genre: Because of Reasons, Gen, and the worst, but not actually in the fic, harry is referenced, plot relevant canon spoiling reasons, which are horrible
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2015-10-18
Packaged: 2018-04-25 10:40:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4957165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antisnotabug/pseuds/antisnotabug
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post RocknRolla, post Kingsman. Eggsy is taking on a lot of Galahad's work, including managing his underworld contacts.</p>
<p>Or: Archy gets an unexpected blast from the past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Long Live the King

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shadeofwrong](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadeofwrong/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The Quote Prompt Meme](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/150904) by shadeofwrong (Harry) and antisnotabug (Archy). 



> This is a birthday gift for my wonderful best friend, who requested this crossover fic. She RPs an amazing Harry and we've done a little crossover RP with Harry making a local underworld contact out of Archy, who has friends in high and low places.

When the young man strode up to him so confidently, Archy could not quite believe he was looking at Eggsy Unwin. There was the outfit, a beauty of a bespoke suit. But Archy would have no problem believing Eggsy acquired it through suspicious means. Two things that kid could always do well: charm you and steal what you own while you were busy being flattered. Eggsy was also looking very clean and posh, not a hair out of place and with glasses he knew weren't necessary for his vision. What really got Archy's attention was how Eggsy carried himself, the way he walked. It wasn't the strut of a cocky little shit with a chip on his shoulder. Eggsy had grown. 

"Alright then, Arch?"

Still sounded like a cocky little shit, though.

Archy stepped back onto the curb. He had been about to cross the street. On his way to a meeting with a judge who wanted a deal on a hot property. Always had a dream to open a pub, the judge had. Archy planned on helping that dream become a reality. For a price, naturally. Eggsy wasn't the only one to move on to bigger and better things in recent years. He briefly wondered if Eggsy knew his plans, but dismissed it as paranoia. "Well look at this. Eggsy Unwin. Haven't heard hide nor hair from you in some time. Thought I was gonna have to have a word with Fred's brother."

Eggsy chuckled, mischievous as ever but with a dark undercurrent Archy wasn't used to seeing on him. "Don't think he's going to be all that talkative for a while. For at least another... oh, six to eight weeks." 

Other than smoothly raising a brow, Archy didn't respond. Ask no questions, hear no lies. Generally that proved to be the best approach to take with the lower level sorts of the underworld. If that was what Eggsy still was. The young man went on, still all confidence. "We need to talk, mate. You and me. How does a walk sound?"

"Honestly? It sounds very fucking suspicious." Archy sipped the coffee from his cup. He knew Eggsy well enough, even though their paths didn't cross that often. Eggsy was into petty shit, the kind of thing Archy hadn't touched since... well, since he was Eggsy's age, when he thought about it. Point being, they had no reason to cross paths now. No reason to have a talk.

"Yeah, thought it might," Eggsy admitted cheerfully. "Probably won't help when I tell you that your tea with the judge is gonna have to wait."

So much for paranoia. Eggsy enjoyed himself far too much at the moment. Archy remained impassive, but his thoughts wandered to the gun in the holster attached to his belt. "Doesn't help at all, Unwin," Archy informed him pleasantly. "What's this about?"

There was the briefest hesitation before Eggsy said, "Benjamin Markham."

Archy's face fell. He finally placed what was setting him off about Eggsy. That suit. The glasses. It was all highly reminiscent of a certain secret agent (or whatever in the fuck Ben was, Archy still didn't know) that had been getting under his skin the last few years. "Are you telling me they let you in the government agent business? So much for background checks." It had more bite that Archy would have liked to show, but any whiff of Benjamin never meant anything good for him.

Eggsy's lips twitched, the same way Benjamin's did whenever Archy brought up the government. "Oh, you'd be surprised. They let in your judge friend into the legal system, didn't they?" The agent adjusted his watch, in what appeared to be a subconscious move. "Don't be a prick about it, Archy. It's just a talk."

"Nothing with you lot is ever _just_ anything." Yet Archy made no move to leave. One, any move to try and not do what these people wanted never ended well. Two, despite the cloak and dagger Eggsy was pulling, Archy believed him. After all, Benjamin never made a move against him. Oh, he drew on Archy more times than he could count, but Archy was guilty of the same. Peril of the business and being on opposing sides is all. At any rate, while he was sure Eggsy knew London like he knew his own hand, Archy knew it better. If he needed to slip away, he could. Well, unless... "So where is he? Should I be waving to one of the street cameras right now?"

"Come on."

Eggsy was decidedly blunt in his command. He turned on his heel and walked down the street, obviously expecting Archy to follow. And follow Archy did, with a frown on his face. The turn in behavior did not put Archy off. It did just the opposite: what would make the kid react like that? Eggsy adjusted the cuffs on his suit, appearing to be composing himself. As a means of distraction, he asked Archy, "I don't suppose you've got any Scottish relatives?"

Archy had been in mid-sip, and when he lowered his cup, it revealed a confused scowl. "Why do you people keep asking that? Ben did too." He shrugged in a manner he would never describe as hapless. "None that I know of? Wasn't terribly close with the extended family. Suppose there could be some roaming the moors, but I don't know 'em. Why?"

Eggsy shrugged much too innocently, all the more mismatched with his smirk, and replied, "No reason." Whatever in-joke Archy had yet to figure out, it made Eggsy feel better. When he got back to business, his shoulders didn't appear so weighed down. "So, Archy. You've been a lot of help to us. Way more than I ever would've thought, actually." Archy narrowed his eyes. That sounded like the beginning of a "we're letting you go" speech. God only knew what the severance package was with these people. Eggsy misread the apprehension, as he went on, "Come on, don't be like that. We just deal with fish a lot bigger than you." 

"I still remember when you were a runt and I had to stop my boy from beating the shit out of you when you took one of his tapes, the one time your mum had to bring you to one of Lenny's parties."

Eggsy's jaw clenched. Archy wondered if it was due to reminding the young man of past embarrassment or bringing up his mother and her struggling as a waitress when his father passed on. "Not a kid now, Archibald."

He surprised himself when his lips curled in a smile at being called his full, old name. "No," said Archy, "You're not, are you?" He looked down at the agent, not a child but still so young. "And I ain't invalid yet. Don't talk to me like I am, Gary." Archy paused, thinking about the Unwins and that party. He remembered Eggsy's mother, face full of worry lines too young but determined as hell. "How is she, anyway?" he asked out of curiosity. "Your mum." He also hadn't heard anything about her in a while. Falling in with Dean's crowd was never a good sign for anyone, but especially a woman. 

Eggsy appraised Archy with a sweeping look. Whatever conclusion he came to, it couldn't have been anything awful, as he responded, "Good. Better. Out of all this." Archy nodded. Good for her. Good for them both, because Eggsy had to be the one who pulled her out of the shit. For a moment, understanding passed between the two of them. They both grew up rolling in the shit. Getting away was such a rarity, yet they both had, in their own ways. Quick as the moment came, it was gone. "Point is, you're doing good. That's what we want, for you to keep doing good."

Archy rolled his eyes.

"The stuff you've given us on Richardson so far? Perfect," Eggsy went on, either not noticing Archy's distaste for being called a do-gooder or just not caring. "But from now on, you're giving your information to me. I'll be taking you over, you're my contact."

The older man stopped dead in his tracks. Eggsy has gotten ahead by a few steps and had to turn to see Archy staring at him. Londoners walked around the two with ease, although they glared at them for causing such traffic. Archy didn't care. This was his town, and they could walk around him. "You? What happened to Benjamin?" 

Eggsy's jaw squared off again. Archy's first thought was the same it had been in the past three months when someone mentioned that a person had gone missing: he was killed in The Riot. Only recently had the true cause of the freak incident been revealed. Those in power tried to keep people calm with placating lies, but the politicians and other important figures in Valentine's bunkers refused to be silenced. The world was getting back on its feet with these people taking the lead, but the dead were still being counted. Archy lost a good chunk of his crew. Paul (who Archy killed with a good pistol whip to the temple), Cookie, and One Two were only a few. Archy had an idea of the damage Benjamin could do, but people were turned into animals that day. Maybe someone (or some twenty, more likely) got the better of him. 

"You know, don't think that should matter to you, actually," Eggsy announced all too blithely. "Far as you're concerned, he's retired. And I'm taking on his work. So--"

"Was it The Riot?"

Eggsy moved with speed Archy hadn't seen since Benjamin saved him from an ambush of German arms dealers. The agent stepped up to the gangster. Archy braced himself for a hit that never came. Eggsy breathed hard and said, "No. Not The Riot. I said it's none of your business." An unidentifiable itch in the back of head made Archy unable to keep his mouth shut.

"If that fucker has actually gone off and retired, I'll eat--"

"Harry's dead."

Archy's head reeled back like he had gotten the blow from Eggsy after all. "What?" It had been Archy's first thought, yet hearing it now, he didn't believe it for a moment. He was too good to get done in by this business. Archy saw him do things that were barely human. 

Only after the fact did he realize that Eggsy said the wrong name. Harry. He couldn't have possibly been referring to anyone else. Eggsy stared wide-eyed at Archy. They both knew Eggsy fucked up. But then Eggsy exhaled, and he made a decision.

"His name was Harry. And he died protecting you. Protecting everyone. People who deserved protecting and people who didn't. And nobody fucking knows that. Nobody. But you're going to, because someone should. You know more than you need to as it is. Harry died in the line of duty but you and me, we're keeping his work going."

The young man sighed again, shaky but resolved, and Archy knew that Eggsy lost a second father. Such a shame that Archy could only respond in one way. In the way that drew the line. In the way that reminded Eggsy and everyone he worked for that Archy never agreed to be drafted to this unnamed cause.

"You really think I care that much about his legacy?"

Finally, that punch arrived. Eggsy socked Archy so hard in the jaw that the older man stumbled backwards. He expected it, but at the same time he didn't. The only thing to stop Archy from falling over completely was Eggsy catching him by his jacket. The two London boys stared at each other, Eggsy's emotions showing plainly where Archy showed nothing. "I'll be seeing you, yeah?" With that, Eggsy was gone.  
\---------------------------------------  
Archy held up the glass to his mouth. The ice in it cooled and soothed his skin. Back in the safety of his home, he could admit to himself that Eggsy packed a hell of a punch. Must be whatever spinach that government fed their agents. "Fuckin' hell." He mumbled. When he sank into the leather chair behind his desk, all the tension from the day sank as well, out of his body and into the floor. Really, it had only been a five or ten minute exchange. Yet Archy felt weighed down. He placed the glass on the coaster, reaching so he didn't have to sit up.

"Not even Benjamin. You lying sack of shit."

He spoke to nothing. Apparently no one to speak to now. The man he knew as Benjamin was gone, and the real man known as Harry was dead. He remembered a long time ago they spoke about the idea of their pension, if such a thing existed for men like them. Harry alluded to the fact that not many of his kind make it to retirement. It still seemed quite unbelievable that he wasn't one to succeed where others failed. He had been deadly, both sharp in the mind and with his weaponry. Harry should've made it to the end of the game.

It pissed him off. And the fact that it pissed him off _really_ pissed him off. He had hated Ben. His presence in Archy's life only meant misery. And yet... well, how many times could you have the thought "in another life, I could've been friends with this bastard" before you had to admit that you didn't hate the bastard in question as much as you contended? Harry saved his life. Both right in front of Archy and apparently under Archy's nose when he didn't even know it. A real hero. Archy huffed. No, there was no such thing as real heroes. And that sanctimonious prick, with his ivory tower and infuriatingly unshakeable morality, would hate to be called as such.

Archy grinned. Well, if Harry would have hated it (and he knew Harry would have), then it was alright to admit that if there was such a thing as a hero, Harry would be the closest thing to it.

With a grunt, he sat up. Archy took his glass in his hand and he raised it. "To Harry." He took long sips as he drank down the bourbon in his glass.

Miles and miles away, Eggsy listened to the toast from the bug he placed in Archy's jacket. They never did have the proper Kingsman's toast for the former Galahad. Things had gotten so busy. He reached for the gin next to his mentor's old desk, now his. He poured just enough to join Archy.

"To Harry."


End file.
